Buying a used car “as is” does not mean you buy a lemon.

It became common knowledge today that a new car depreciation is as high as 30 percent when leaving the dealership lot. You are smart; therefore, you start looking at used cars to buy. One day you go on a website of one of the certified used car dealers and see that they advertise the car of your dream. The description of the car and parameters could not be better: the car has a low mileage and is in a good condition. They also offer you a test drive with three exclamation marks. “Why would they do it if the car were not so good?”,- you think to yourself. You like the color and the shine and you already visualize yourself sitting behind the wheel of that luxury vehicle. You call the dealer right away and beg them to keep it for you until the end of the day – you are scared that someone else in the next cubical is looking at “your” car and is plotting to beat you to the punch.

Two hours later, you are at the dealership and buy the vehicle “as is” on the spot. Now being a happy owner you make yourself comfortable in your new “baby” and put the pedal to the metal… but in a few minutes find yourself in a snow bank, because there is no pedal in the car anymore. And not only that…

You truly believe that some misunderstanding occurred between you and the car dealership and take the car immediately back to the dealer, who tells you that you bought a USED car and you bought it “AS IS” and based on these conditions you cannot expect the car to be road worthy. He also teaches you that you are an adult and must know what the used car means and how to take responsibility for your own actions. You feel nauseated, your head is spinning; you realize that you made a terrible mistake, but you still do not get what mistake you made. You feel duped and taken advantage of, but you do not know what to do next. You are at a loss both mentally and also financially; you do not have a car, you have a broken trough. You wish all this were a dream!

It is not a dream. Chanting your grandma’s saying “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”, you get a grip and start the “Rescue Yourself” operation. The first place you call is Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC). This organization is responsible for governing, monitoring used car dealers and enforcing the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, 2002. After listening patiently to your story for about 20 minutes a receptionist tells you that it was not the right place to call and suggests you to call the Ministry of Transportation, which is responsible for safety and standards, from where you get the runaround and eventually find yourself in the Ministry of Environment because that Ministry issued a DRIVE CLEAN guide which directly relates to your car’s faulty emission test.

The dead end. “Is it a vicious circle?” To get out of it please call us. We will assess your situation, needs and objectives, and protect your rights. All the Ministries mentioned above and even a couple more including the Ministry of Consumer Services are valuable and they have their own missions, tasks and procedures. We also have a mission. Our mission is putting all pieces of the puzzle together, identifying the issues and addressing them properly by leading you through the steps you need to take to have the issues resolved to your satisfaction. Depending on violations (if any) and your objectives we can help you at every stage starting from communication and negotiations with the used car dealer in attempt to resolve the issues at an earlier stage, file a complaints on your behalf or help you to file a complaint within the right Ministry that has jurisdiction over the matter, represent you in court or assist you, should you chose to be self-represented, at civil and sometimes criminal proceedings on summary conviction offences. Timing often is a key component because, for example, the emission test results are valid only for 36 days and should you act quickly.

The Fable Wisdom: it is better be safe than sorry. Call us for a consultation before buying a used car.